Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.
— Philippians 4:8(NIV)

Philippians 4:8 has always been one of my favorite scriptures. Filling our minds with the right kinds of thoughts is critical in our Christian lives. Paul spells those thoughts out in this verse.

I enjoy finding ideas that make me think positive thoughts. I have kept idea books for 15 years, and I have filled over a dozen such journals. These ideas often give me seed thoughts for sermons, speeches, and blogs. James Rohn said, “Rarely does an idea interrupt you. You have to cultivate good ideas.” I do that by writing them down.

Because this routine has been such an important part of my life, I want to share some of those ideas. I am starting a blog that I have titled “Think on These Things,” from the King James Version of the last part of this verse. (As with many of you, that’s the version I grew up with.) As I have time, I will share an idea and a spiritual application. These may come from LST projects around the world, working with college students for over 40 years, delivering speeches and seminars for corporate America and associations, working as a pulpit minister, or simply being a Christian struggling to do my best.

My family and I, since our children were small, have had family devotionals each night. We geared them to the age levels of our children, and since they left home my wife and I continue this practice. Perhaps you can use these blogs in your own family devotional. A good idea can carry me through a challenging day or event. Perhaps a blog entry might help you in that way. Maybe you can learn from one of the blogs about a mistake someone made and how he or she handled it. One of the scriptures I mention might connect with where you are in your Christian walk.

I solicit your comments. May you think on these things in meeting the challenges of the Christian life.